Individual and Small Group Classes

Courses for Couples and Families

"Study and Travel" Programs

Spanish for Children

Special classes for students of all ages at Yanapuma!

Explore the Wonders of Ecuador and Peru!

Our travel agency can make all your local arrangements!

Professional Spanish courses in Quito and Cuenca (Ecuador) and Cusco (Peru), for students of all levels . . . Spanish classes and cultural programs around Ecuador and Peru. . . Travel with a teacher, or volunteer while you learn the language!

Share our Passion for Spanish!

Yanapuma is one of the few professional Spanish schools in Ecuador and Peru - dedicated to delivering the very best in Spanish language classes to international students from all over the world.

Our qualified staff and teachers offer courses for students and volunteers at all levels and ages in elegant and comfortable historic buildings in our Spanish language schools in Quito, Cuenca and Cusco.

We offer accommodation for our language students with welcoming local host families, as well as with hostels and hotels, from backpacker to luxury style.

We provide a secure and friendly base from where you can explore these vibrant and historic, colonial cities and our in-house travel agency will help you make all your travel plans.

Explore the rich cultural and natural heritage of Ecuador, including the Galapagos Islands on our "Study and Travel" programs, and historic Cusco with its Inca heritage, while you learn to speak the Spanish language!

Help to support the work of Yanapuma Foundation in promoting sustainable development among indigenous and marginalized communities in both Ecuador and Peru.

Quick links . . .

Three Spanish Schools!

We have developed our schools in Quito and Cuenca since 2006 with the highest standards and materials, to offer the very best in Spanish language tuition based on the recommendations of Spain's "Instituto Cervantes."

Our school in Cusco, Peru, is situated in the very heart of this spectacular, historic city, offering the same professional standards and programs. For students seeking to explore the wonders of Peru, Cusco is the ideal destination.

Study & Travel and More!

Our "Study and Travel" programs in Ecuador are a popular way of combining Spanish classes with more touristic pursuits, traveling through different parts of the country with a teacher. Visit the Amazon rainforest, the Andean sierra, the Pacific coast and the Galapagos Islands.

We also offer two Medical Spanish programs for doctors, students and health practitioners with an optional practicum in Quito or Cuenca.

In addition we offer volunteer programs in Quito, Cuenca and Cusco either with or without Spanish classes, and all around Ecuador.

From Children to Seniors!

Students of all ages study Spanish with us - from 6 to 76! Our Cuenca school has many retired students regularly taking classes, and our Quito school also receives retired and near-retirement adventurers looking to learn or improve their Spanish. Our methods adapt to any age of learner and we have programs and materials for children as well as for retired persons.

more quick links:

We offer small group classes for basic and low intermediate students with a maximum of 6 students per class and an average of 3. There are two options: Standard Immersion Spanish - 3 hours per day in the afternoon, from 3 to 6 pm. Volunteers often take these classes as most volunteering takes place in the mornings. Intensive Immersion Spanish - 4 hours per day in the morning from 9 am to 1 pm. Couples or Friends - Classes for a couple or friends traveling together, at any language level, 4 hours in the morning or irregular hours in the afternoon.

We offer individual Spanish classes at all levels and for all ages. Students take 4 hours in the morning, or irregular hours in the afternoons. There are 3 forms of individual classes:Individual classes that follow our curriculum and academic plan using our standard materialsIndividualized classes that follow the specific needs and requirements of a particular student with an individualized class plan and materialsSpecialized courses such as the 'Professional Medical Spanish' program and the 'Introductory Medical Spanish' program

These programs include 20 hours (4 hours per day) of small group classes in the mornings, plus excursions to places of cultural and historical interest around these cities in the afternoons with a teacher. This is a great way to combine learning Spanish with tourism and culture. You can elect individual classes instead of small-group classes if you wish.

Combine your Spanish language classes with volunteering in a local project in the mornings. Classes are 3 hours in the afternoons from 3 to 6 pm, leaving you plenty of time to return from volunteering to the school and have lunch before starting class.

These exciting programs combine Spanish classes with exploration of some of the incredible diversity of Ecuador. Each of the 10 programs explores a different part of the country. While some involve spending a week in an Amazon rainforest or cloudforest lodge, others move along a pre-determined route.

More About Yanapuma Spanish Schools

At Yanapuma Foundation and Spanish School we have become increasingly involved over the past few years with organizing a variety of extra activities for our students and volunteers, from Amazon and Galapagos tours, climbing volcanos, exploring Ecuador by train, staying in luxury haciendas and lodges, white-water rafting and other sports, and more. So we decided to launch our own travel agency as a limited company in Ecuador to be able to offer all the security and guarantees that our students and volunteers would expect. An additional advantage is that we can negotiate better deals for flights, tours, and other events. So whatever your plans for your time in Ecuador, let us know and we will be happy to offer our guidance and help through True Ecuador Travel. We can also book activities throughouth Peru - Inca Trail, visits to indigenous communities, Lake Titicaca, adn more.

Just like the Spanish schools, True Ecuador Travel will help to further our mission as an NGO by providing resources for our development projects and seeking ways to connect persons from developed and developing countries for mutual learning and benefit.

Volunteering is a great way to practice the Spanish that you are learning in your classes. It is also a great way to connect with the people and culture of Ecuador.

Our volunteer coordinators will be happy to recommend suitable projects for you, either in Quito or Cuenca or Cusco while you study the Spanish language, or in any of the 25 or so projects that we collaborate with around Ecuador, or projects in Cusco. So whether you want to work with children in a daycare or school, street children, animal rescue, environmental or reforestation projects, clinics and health centers, community development, or organic farming, we will have something right for you.

Profits from our School in Quito help fund the work of Yanapuma Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable practices in marginalized communities throughout Ecuador. To find out more please read our latest newsletter. We have been carrying out sustainable development projects with indigenous and marginalized communities in Ecuador since 2006, funding scholarships for disadvantaged children to study at high school, ecological sanitation, sustainable cacao production, health and nutrition initiatives, reforestation and environmental protection, and more.

Your support as a student contributes directly to improving the lives of marginal communities in Ecuador! You can read more about all these activities on our foundation website.

Yanapuma offers a variety of accommodation options for our students in Quito, Cuenca and Cusco. We recommend a homestay with a local host family as the best way to immerse yourself in the Spanish language. We work with a number of welcoming and sociable families in all three cities, and we will be glad to help you organize a homestay while you take your Spanish course or volunteer with us.

In addition we can offer hotel and hostel options according to your budget and preferences.

Yanapuma is one of the professional language Schools in Ecuador, and a member of the AECEE (Ecuadorian Association of Spanish Language Centers) You can see our other professional education affiliations below. We strive for continual improvement in order to offer the best experience - academically and socially - to our students. Our teachers undergo ongoing academic training. Our prices are among the lowest for professional language lessons in Ecuador. Our methods are based on the renowned Cervantes Institute of Spain, and we use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and ACTFL standards for US students. Likewise in Cusco, our school promotes learning to communicate as the primary focus of the classes, with grammar being taught as a support for your ability to communicate effectively.

The Yanapuma Advantage:
- Extensive multi-media and computer materials in all classes - Comprehensive personalized course planning and revision for the individual student
- Competitive prices for professional language tuition
- A welcoming home-from-home environment in Ecuador and Peru
- A wealth of social activities and opportunities to meet other students
- Qualified teachers with university titles
- Your support helps the work of our foundation
- You can study in all three schools and our teachers will pass your lesson plan and notes on to the next teacher

Here are some of the latest reports by students of their experiences studying with Yanapuma.

"Yanapuma is an excellent organization and turned out to be the best choice possible for my trip to Ecuador. My Spanish lessons were excellent and I'm learning with high quality materials for further study. My teacher, Fernanda, was outstanding. We had many interesting conversations: I only wish I had time to continue for a few more weeks. If you want to explore while learning, choose Yanapuma. You won't be disappointed." - JH

"Well planned out and organized classes, great teachers, learned a lot and would definitely recommend. I had a great experience at Yanapuma and learned a lot of Spanish, both in the classroom and activities led by Yanapuma outside the classroom. The teachers were organized, helpful, and aware of what non-native speakers find difficult about Spanish."

"Very easy organization: appreciated accommodation and transfer arranged. Classes were fun! Accommodating to mixed levels. I only stayed one week at Yanapuma and I wish I had been here for longer. Classes were fun, with teachers accommodating to each students' needs and interests. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, I especially enjoyed the food presentations and learning about Ecuadorian culture."

Our Affiliations

We continually strive for improvement as a professional Spanish school. Here are some of the organizations that we are linked with and whose standards we subscribe to:

Our Valued Partners

In addition, we welcome partnerships with professional organizations, universities, high schools and other educational institutions. Here are some that we work with.

Learn Spanish Pages

Spanish Study and Travel

What sets our Spanish Schools in Quito, Cuenca and Cusco apart . . .

. . . is not only the dedication to professional Spanish language tuition and methodological innovation, but also the mission of Yanapuma Foundation to promote sustainable development among indigenous and marginalized communities in Ecuador and Peru.

Your support as a Spanish student helps to further the mission of Yanapuma Foundation.